Journal 2018 – Day 6 – Depression

Depression. Now that’s a difficult word there. Let’s start with the “official” definition and go from there. According to the National Institute of Mental Health Depression is a common but serious mood disorder. Some of the symptoms are persistent sadness, anxious or “empty” mood, feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, irritability, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, decreased energy or fatigue, moving or talking more slowly, feeling restless or having trouble sitting still, difficulty concentrating remembering or making decisions, difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening or oversleeping, appetite and/or weight changes, thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts, aches or pains, headache, cramps, or digestive problems, without a clear physical cause, and/or that do not ease even with treatment. The symptoms can be severe and affect how you feel, think, and handle your daily life. To be diagnosed with it, you have to have had the symptoms for over two weeks. Not everyone has to have all the symptoms. Some people experience only a few while others experience a lot more. It is the most common mental disorder, and it’s most likely caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

There are several types of depression

Persistent Depressive Disorder (also called Dysthymia) – It last for at least two years. A person has major depressive episodes along with less severe symptoms.

Postpartum Depression – Must more severe than “Baby Blues” ( a relatively mild depressive/anxiety episode that typically clears up within two weeks after giving birth). This is a full-blown Major Depression during pregnancy and/or after delivery. The feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that accompany this type of depression makes it extremely difficult for these new mothers to take care of daily tasks for themselves much less for their babies.

Psychotic Depression – This happens when a person has Major Depression along with some form of psychosis such as hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations) or have disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions). This type’s symptoms typically have a depressive “these” such as delusions of poverty, illness, or guilt.

Seasonal Affective Disorder – It is characterized by the onset of depression in the winter because of the loss of natural sunlight and coming out of it in the spring when the sun comes out again. Winter depression is normally accompanied by increased sleep, social withdrawal , weight gain, and it predictably returns every year.

Bipolar Disorder – It is different from depression because it’s got mania episodes too, but a person with bipolar does experience extreme lows which are depressions, but they also experience extreme high or euphoric or irritable moods called “mania” or less severe form called “hypomania”

Now that’s that out of the way. It’s the dry stuff. The information stuff. Now we can have some fun….Well….to tell you truth, it’s really not that much fun living with depression. Most of the time you have okay days which are spend in partial dread of bad days. Then bad days hit and your world is torn apart you don’t know when it is going to end. It is more than sadness and disinterest. It is like falling down a deep, bottomless, smooth, stone sided well at the speed of light. All you can do is hold on and try not to loss your mind. The only fun is when the mood swings liven up the place. They can change as slow as the gentle wind blows or as fast as a hurricane roars. Sometimes my changed so often that if plotted it would look like an EKG. LOL The key is not going too high or low.

Well, that’s a good overview of depression. Now I hope you have a basic understand. If you have any questions, please leave me a common.